Osloh Lane Bike Jeans Review

Osloh Lane Bike Jeans Review

Simon Tuck

A review of Lane Bike Jeans made by Osloh. These jeans are designed specifically with cyclists in mind. There are features galore in these very technical jeans, including a chamois pad, water-repellent coating and pockets everywhere.

There are several different styles of Osloh jeans, and a choice of different materials. I chose the slightly more relaxed fit and durability of the Lane Bike Jeans in Indigo Denim.

The many features mean that there are over 40 manufacturing processes required to make a pair of Osloh jeans.

First impressions were of a very engineered pair of jeans. Osloh say regular jeans use around 15 different manufacturing processes, whereas their cycle-specific jeans are subject to over 40. You can see the detail that goes into them and feel the quality.

The phone pocket is deep and wide enough to hold most modern mobiles securely.

Out of the packet the Osloh jeans feel quite stiff and the button fly is very hard to operate. This does get easier after a few washes. Proper denim jeans always need to be ‘worn in’ a little, so this wasn’t a concern. I think a zipped fly would be more convenient, but buttons should last longer and that seems to be the important point. The button fly also gets easier to manipulate after a few washes. Until then you just need to plan your toilet visits to give you time to open them.

The waist section is less cluttered than regular jeans, and more comfortable for it.

The fit is great for me. The low-slung waist on the Lane jeans is unusual in bike clothing. Normally you find higher waisted items on cycling gear. It works though, I find them very comfortable. There are adjustment tabs on the waist if you wanted to buy a bigger pair for a baggier fit and cinch in the waist, but I left them alone as the fit was spot-on. The leg length was a bit longer than expected, but this may be a cycling-specific feature as well. In a riding position the leg length made sense, especially in the rain and cold.

There’s a pocket for everything in the Osloh jeans.

The Osloh jeans have pockets everywhere. The phone pocket on the right hip fits even the larger modern smart phones with ease. The ‘regular’ pockets are also a decent size and they feel thick and durable. Both of these ‘hand’ pockets have a smaller pocket just above them which I found handy for bike lock keys. The rear, buttoned pockets have smaller pockets inside about the size of a credit card or work pass.

This extra piece of material is to protect against chain damage.

The bike-specific features of a chamois pad, chain guard and right leg cinch are all very good in theory. The chamois isn’t quite as thick as you’d expect on your bibshorts, or as cushioned. This means that you won’t walk funny when you’re off the bike though, and there’s enough padding to make a difference when you are on the bike. The chain guard is a valid feature, I often stand at the lights and lean my bike against my leg exactly where the extra piece of material is. The leg cinch takes a bit of the flap out of the right leg so that you aren’t as likely to get a jean/ chain interface in the first place. It’s got a sturdy popper and doesn’t look too silly when you’re off the bike either.

The right leg has a buttoned fastening to cinch the material out-of-the-way of the chain.

The water-repellent treatment means that light rain and puddle splashes will bead and run off, but longer spells of rain, and heavy rain will soon soak through the fabric. I didn’t specifically test for it, but when you spill your lunch over the Osloh jeans it’s less likely to stain due to this treatment. As for the anti-bacterial properties, they don’t smell after wearing for most of the week in reasonably warm weather. That’s partly due to good personal hygiene of course.

This one belt loop interferes with the waist fastening and slightly lets down the overall good quality and features.

I was slightly surprised when I fitted a belt to the Osloh jeans. The belt loops are all sewn on diagonally rather than vertically, I guess it was thought a quirky feature. The only problem is, at the front one of these loops is in the way of the tab that fastens to the buttons. It’s not uncomfortable, and with a belt on it doesn’t notice, but it seems at odds with the rest of the well thought out features. But, if you want to be really impressed, turn the jeans inside out. All the pockets and the chamois have an indigo lining fabric. Nobody else will see it, but it’s there.

The legs are longer than expected, but that’s good once you’re on the bike.

The Osloh Lane Bike Jeans are a very nice pair of jeans that fit well and have some great features. They are brilliant for on and off the bike. They’re quite expensive, but you can feel and see the quality that you’re paying for. They’re great for shorter commutes and rides to the pub or shops. And there’s a choice of different materials and styles to suit different seasons and situations.